I would like to call this meeting to order.
This is meeting 17 of the standing committee. We're here today to discuss the main estimates and supplementary estimates (C).
I'd like to welcome the minister and thank him for taking the time to join us.
Before we jump into things, there's something else I would like to say. It's fitting that the minister is here today. As I'm sure all of us in this call have seen over this last week, our colleague, Mr. Lefebvre, has decided he will not be seeking re-election, whenever that date happens. It's probably two or three years from now, but nonetheless, he has made that decision now. It also means he is no longer serving as parliamentary secretary to this minister and to this committee.
I just want to take this opportunity to thank him and to express my appreciation, and to express appreciation on behalf of not only everybody on this committee but also everybody else who has worked with him. I've been working with him since 2015, and it's been a pleasure. I am very grateful for everything he's done.
On that note, Minister, again, thank you very much. I'm very grateful, as are all the members, that you are generously providing us with your time today. That goes for your departmental officials as well, whom we'll have for the second hour.
Rather than consume any more time in this first hour, when time is so precious, I will spare us all my usual speech on the rules. Everybody here knows them very well.
Minister, I will now give the floor to you.